I was fortunate to have the time and cash free to attend Wendy McClure's appearance at Women & Children First last night. The room was packed by the time things got going, and I was glad I'd arrived early so I could (a) snag a seat, and (b) buy the book (as well as this month's issue of Bust). Wendy was charming in a very down-to-earth way, and possessed of quite the prettiest smile I think I've ever seen. She first read a hilarious column she'd written for Bust on Kirstie "Fat Actress" Alley, then selected pieces from the book.

At one point during the reading, I glanced behind me and noted Paula Kamen sitting there.

When the reading and some Q&A's were over, we all lined up for autographs. I can't say how much I felt like a dork introducing myself as "JT, I comment on your blog sometimes?" Duh. She asked if I'd like her to sign the book to JT and I hesitated before saying yes. But I like being JT more than I like being me, so there ya go. Decision made.

So after turning Wendy over to the rest of the adoring fans, I stalked Paula. I attended U of I a year or two behind her, and her fame was firmly established by the time I entered the doors of the Daily Illini. We had a nice chat about what we were up to (her new book, celebrating a friend's dissertation completion with margaritas, vs my kids & boring jobness).

I left in a kind of fog, and when I got home was poorly able to describe the contact high I had to DH. There I was, in a room with a great blogger who was newly published (*zing* of jealousy mixed with admiration), as well as my generation's preeminent literary feminist (pure admiration and shyness). I got to hang out with these women in a bookstore! We knew some of the same people! I'm really a big dorkus!

I have no good ending to this entry so I'm going to give you a teeny taste of Wendy:

"I'm in Vegas because of a website. I got here through the Internet. It's a little hard to explain that to other people. You start out telling someone, 'Okay, so there this website,' and that you know a few people through it, and as you're talking he or she will tilt his/her head like a dog who's heard something you can't hear, and apparently, that something is your own voice saying, La, la, la, I have a magical pretend life."

Congratulations and best wishes to both Wendy and Paula. I'm really proud to know you, even tangentally.